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[Gosh I'm glad to see that austerity program is still working so well, and promises to do so indefinitely. But, gee! Who doesn't want cheaper servants in their home? *RON*]

Ferdinando Giugliano, Financial Times, 7 April 2015

Most of the world’s leading economies should prepare for a prolonged period of lower growth rates, which would make it harder for governments and companies to bring down their debt levels, the International Monetary Fund has warned.

The findings, included in one of the analytical chapters of the IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, mean that living standards — particularly in the developing world — could grow more slowly than they did before 2008.

The Iranian framework agreement is an astonishingly good deal, and has the potential to become a historic game-changer. As Robert Parry astutely observed, its about much more than sheaving the threat that Iran will get the bomb:
The April 2 framework agreement with Iran represents more than just a diplomatic deal to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. It marks a crossroad that offers a possible path for the American Republic to regain its footing and turn away from endless war.
The saliency of that observation lies in the fact that there is virtually nothing in the substance of the deal for the War Party to attack. So what they are doing is desperately hurtling the Iranian axis-of-evil narrative at the agreement, claiming that the regime is so untrus…

The B.C. government recently announced it will increase the minimum wage in September to $10.45 per hour. Thereafter, annual increases will be automatically pegged at the rate of inflation.

Shortly after the announcement, Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills TrainingShirley Bond said: "We want to protect the most vulnerable British Columbians in our province and... deal with the issue of those who are struggling with their families."

The goal of helping struggling families and the most vulnerable in society is laudable. But the problem is the minimum wage is the wr…

Brothers Charles and David Koch run Koch Industries, the second-largest privately owned company in the U.S., behind Cargill. They've given close to US$70 million to climate change denial front groups, some of which they helped start, including Americans for Prosperity, founded by David Koch and a major force behind the Tea Party movement.

[There is literally only a day or so left before they close down the public input process on the permit to allow Port Metro Vancouver to flush chemically treat coal dust through our sewer system. Please take the opportunity to write them a quick email to let them know what you think of this. *RON*]

Scott Van Denham / New West Record, 6 April 2015Dear Editor:

Port Metro Vancouver hasn't tried really hard to tell us about it, but they want to expand shipments of low-grade, dusty American coal through Fraser Surrey Docks for sale to Asian markets. I thought you might want to know this, because, after all, coal dust is bad for our health or our air quality, and we should have a say in the Port Authority's plans where they affect our health and environment.

Doesn't the Port Authority have a way, you might ask, of dealing with the dust produced from moving this dirty fossil fuel around? Well, yes, but there is a problem with that, too. You se…